Steve Waugh: Not sure if current Indian side better than the ones I played against

[Varun]

India coach Ravi Shastri, in an interview in September, claimed that the current Indian side is the best one in the last 15-20 years. But former Australia captain Steve Waugh believes otherwise. The former right-hand batsman, in an interview to ESPN Cricinfo, said that the current side led by Virat Kohli is not better than some of the sides he played against.

“Look I have played against some great Indian sides and I am not sure that the current side is better than the ones we played against,” the 52-year-old said. He further added that he understands that Shastri wanted to boost the morale of his side, but added that such sweeping comments could have been avoided.

“I am not really sure but probably not a great thing to say as it puts extra pressure on the team. Once they start losing, they will get a lot of criticism for that. Look, it’s good that Ravi Shastri believes in his side but comments like these could be kept to himself,” the former Australian international said.

With India set to travel to Australia for a 2-month tour, Waugh stressed that India will find it hard to beat Australia at home despite the ongoing problems with the team. “Australia will be hard to beat in Australia. We have a bowling attack as good as any team in world cricket and we can take wickets. It’s our batting if we score 350 runs in first innings, I think we will be very hard to beat. And someone will always come and do well and that’s the nature of the sport,” he said.

The former batsman added that he expects the series to be a close affair. “I am still pretty confident that we can win in Australia but it’s going to be a close series though,” he said.

Waugh also praised Virat Kohli and compared him to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. “He is a great player and he loves these big moments. He is like Tendulkar and Lara. They wait for these and that’s where they want to show their best. He will be the dangerman straightaway but they have some pretty good batsmen,” he said.

“Actually, India have quite a rounded team and they will see this as a significant chance. They would have prepared for this tour for a long time. I think it is going to be really close series,” he added.

India will face Australia in the first T20I on December 21, 2018.

https://indianexpress.com/article/s...an-ones-i-played-against-steve-waugh-5447209/

Duh? Unless you've been suckered into the Shastri doctrine, you'll fully realize that this is a team that has to scrap hard to avoid a whitewash anywhere they go!

 

[MP2011]

Only thing this team has over our past touring teams to Aus is its bowling. As for batting, there is no one bar Kohli just like '99 team had only Tendulkar in its ranks.

Our '03 and '07 teams had host of batting stars, while our '11 team had only fading stars.

 

[Slog]

Duh? Unless you've been suckered into the Shastri doctrine, you'll fully realize that this is a team that has to scrap hard to avoid a whitewash anywhere they go!

People are not hyping India because they are super good. But they are doing so because Aus are super bad

 

[Xoib]

This is Indian's best ever bowling attack while this is worst Aussie batting line up in 30 years. If India puts runs on the board this series will be one way traffic.

 

[Ab Fan]

India's bowling is the best they ever had but batting is quite mediocre.

 

[Varun]

This is Indian's best ever bowling attack while this is worst Aussie batting line up in 30 years. If India puts runs on the board this series will be one way traffic.

We need Rahane to fire this series. He's tonned up a couple of times in Australia before, and Kohli needs some help at the other end - which is sure as hell not coming from the openers and the usually hit-and-miss Pujara.

 

[IndianMafia]

Keep an eye on Rohit this time... Predicting atleast 2 centuries from him in tests

 

[battler]

We need Rahane to fire this series. He's tonned up a couple of times in Australia before, and Kohli needs some help at the other end - which is sure as hell not coming from the openers and the usually hit-and-miss Pujara.

Pant really needs to seal his spot here. He is well capable of doing it if he just keeps his reckless nature in check .

 

[Varun]

Pant really needs to seal his spot here. He is well capable of doing it if he just keeps his reckless nature in check .

Yeah, utter travesty if he fails and we go back to Karthik or somebody.

I liked what I saw of him in England though, bar one innings where he scored 0 (30). His keeping was also solid.

 

[rhony]

Pant really needs to seal his spot here. He is well capable of doing it if he just keeps his reckless nature in check .

More than Pant, I think the spotlight is on Rahul. I feel it's a make or break for him.

 

[battler]

More than Pant, I think the spotlight is on Rahul. I feel it's a make or break for him.

Spotlight is on anyone whose name is not kohli. No one's place is secure as such in the batting line up except kohli.

 

[Zahid87]

To those that are praising India's bowling...

As a unit, yes, they are better than most of their predecessors, although that is quite a low bar...

But, I don't think its the attack for Australian conditions. What you need there is bowlers who can extract pace and bounce. The 80-85 mph swing bowlers that look decent in South Africa and England won't be as effective there.

I said this in another thread...but I really don't see India putting up much of a fight. I can't see that bowling attack taking 20 wickets regularly, and I don't see that batting line-up as one who can put up scores if Kohli fails.

Bar Kohli...its not a great team...Australia, however poor they are, should still be favourites and beat India.

 

[the_outsider]

To those that are praising India's bowling...

As a unit, yes, they are better than most of their predecessors, although that is quite a low bar...

But, I don't think its the attack for Australian conditions. What you need there is bowlers who can extract pace and bounce. The 80-85 mph swing bowlers that look decent in South Africa and England won't be as effective there.

I said this in another thread...but I really don't see India putting up much of a fight. I can't see that bowling attack taking 20 wickets regularly, and I don't see that batting line-up as one who can put up scores if Kohli fails.

Bar Kohli...its not a great team...Australia, however poor they are, should still be favourites and beat India.

Odd statement to make considering that Bhuvi is the only 80 MPH swing bowler in this squad.

Shami, Bumrah and Umesh are are 90+ MPH bowlers and Ishant gets enough bounce with his 6 feet 5" frame.

 

[Junaids]

As for batting, there is no one bar Kohli just like '99 team had only Tendulkar in its ranks.

Dravid?

Ganguly?

Laxman?

 

[Varun]

Dravid?

Ganguly?

Laxman?

All on their first ever tours of Australia, very green, and going in well before they had made a name for themselves (which only happened in the 2001 home series).

 

[Zahid87]

Odd statement to make considering that Bhuvi is the only 80 MPH swing bowler in this squad.

Shami, Bumrah and Umesh are are 90+ MPH bowlers and Ishant gets enough bounce with his 6 feet 5" frame.

You seem to have taken offence...

What I mean to say is that the type of bowlers India produce, are not really suited to Australian conditions.

In Australia the Kookabura ball doesn't really swing after the initial overs. You need to have bowlers that either bowl with genuine pace, and are able to get lift of the pitch, or bowlers that can bowl 'dry' - i.e. tight lines and keep the pressure on.

Ishant, although tall, has never performed in Australia (from memory), despite having toured there several times. Shami is a swing bowler I guess and can potentially get it up to 90mph on a good day. Don't really think he is the type to get wickets there, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar certainly not.

Umesh Yadav has the capability I guess....but from memory has always been to inconsistent to ever actually get a long run in the side and perform.

Bumrah...I don't know. I don't really rate him as a test bowler, but he seems to have had a good start to his career. In saying that, he has played in South Africa and England, where conditions were bowler friendly, and the new ball was moving. A mixture of short balls and yorkers with a Kookabura that doesn't support swing...makes him a bit one dimensional.

Spin bowling wise...again Ashwin hasn't done it and Kuldeep Yadav probably not ready for tests outside India.

 

[the Great Khan]

This India side is good but I wouldnt worry about them in test matches. The team of 2005-2007 worried me. They had a good bowling attack with zaheer, balaji, irfan , kumble, bhajji and even sachin with his part time turners. Thei batting was world class, I mean sachin and sehwag with dravid, laxman and dhoni..what more do you need? the fact they nearly won in aussie and did in england and Pakistan is a testament to that side. Everyone wanted to bat that side..they were just a bit unlucky that they faced some very good sides too. I mean our Pakistan test side wasnt too shabby either with three all time great (pakistan) batters and some good bowlers in the side. Aussies were pretty good then too..

This India side just seems a bit brittle at the moment..I'm not sure what it is. Mentally perhaps?

 

[BreadPakoda]

This India side is good but I wouldnt worry about them in test matches. The team of 2005-2007 worried me. They had a good bowling attack with zaheer, balaji, irfan , kumble, bhajji and even sachin with his part time turners. Thei batting was world class, I mean sachin and sehwag with dravid, laxman and dhoni..what more do you need? the fact they nearly won in aussie and did in england and Pakistan is a testament to that side. Everyone wanted to bat that side..they were just a bit unlucky that they faced some very good sides too. I mean our Pakistan test side wasnt too shabby either with three all time great (pakistan) batters and some good bowlers in the side. Aussies were pretty good then too..

This India side just seems a bit brittle at the moment..I'm not sure what it is. Mentally perhaps?

SRT, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, Sehwag were one in a life time players. Can't really have the same expectations from Rahane, Che, KL and co. There is a difference in class.

 

[Varun]

SRT, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, Sehwag were one in a life time players. Can't really have the same expectations from Rahane, Che, KL and co. There is a difference in class.

Still, of the lot, Pujara has been the most disappointing. Even calling him a poor man's Dravid is doing Dravid a disservice.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Still, of the lot, Pujara has been the most disappointing. Even calling him a poor man's Dravid is doing Dravid a disservice.

Agree. Average of <30 outside Asia. Poor man's Jayawardene, maybe.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

This India side is good but I wouldnt worry about them in test matches. The team of 2005-2007 worried me. They had a good bowling attack with zaheer, balaji, irfan , kumble, bhajji and even sachin with his part time turners. Thei batting was world class, I mean sachin and sehwag with dravid, laxman and dhoni..what more do you need? the fact they nearly won in aussie and did in england and Pakistan is a testament to that side. Everyone wanted to bat that side..they were just a bit unlucky that they faced some very good sides too. I mean our Pakistan test side wasnt too shabby either with three all time great (pakistan) batters and some good bowlers in the side. Aussies were pretty good then too..

This India side just seems a bit brittle at the moment..I'm not sure what it is. Mentally perhaps?

+1

This side’s bark is worse than its bite. They’ve yet to achieve anything of note overseas yet go around as if they are world-beaters.

Shastri and co need to stop talking and start performing when it comes to these away tours.

 

[Pakhs]

Odd statement to make considering that Bhuvi is the only 80 MPH swing bowler in this squad.

Shami, Bumrah and Umesh are are 90+ MPH bowlers and Ishant gets enough bounce with his 6 feet 5" frame.

Can you show me any links where Shami and bumrah bowled two over at 90+MPH? They are good bowlers but I have never seen them bowl 90+ in a spell. At their best they bowl at around 85-86 which is a normal speed for most fast bowlers these days.

 

[the_outsider]

Can you show me any links where Shami and bumrah bowled two over at 90+MPH? They are good bowlers but I have never seen them bowl 90+ in a spell. At their best they bowl at around 85-86 which is a normal speed for most fast bowlers these days.

I don't know where I can find recorded bowling speeds. Maybe somebody else can post them.

I'm going by what I see during live TV. And I consistently see them hitting 145+ plus on fast wickets. Even Bhuvi's used to hit 140-141 KPH (87 MPH) till the first half of 2018. But since the IPL he has come down 5-7 KPH.

 

[Sachin136]

The bowling is better in tests and ODIs, but the batting obviously has declined.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Odd statement to make considering that Bhuvi is the only 80 MPH swing bowler in this squad.

Shami, Bumrah and Umesh are are 90+ MPH bowlers and Ishant gets enough bounce with his 6 feet 5" frame.

Bumrah is mostly 142-144 at best. Umesh won't play and Shami was again mostly 140 in England.

 

[the_outsider]

Bumrah is mostly 142-144 at best. Umesh won't play and Shami was again mostly 140 in England.

I saw Bumrah crank it up to 147 KPH in England. Umesh might play because he gets reverse swing which works in Australia. And even Shami was cranking it up to 145 KPH in SA although he did bowl a little slower overall in Eng, around the 140-142 mark.

And mind you, these are softer English wickets. On hard Australian surfaces, I'm pretty sure these guys will be a couple of km quicker. I remember seeing Umesh crank it up to 151 KPH in Australia.

 

[topspin]

1.Bowling much much better.
2. Fielding overall better but slip catching not as good.
3. Batting is nowhere near as good as the 2000s but is still the best batting team.

 

[jagatk]

You seem to have taken offence...

What I mean to say is that the type of bowlers India produce, are not really suited to Australian conditions.

In Australia the Kookabura ball doesn't really swing after the initial overs. You need to have bowlers that either bowl with genuine pace, and are able to get lift of the pitch, or bowlers that can bowl 'dry' - i.e. tight lines and keep the pressure on.

Ishant, although tall, has never performed in Australia (from memory), despite having toured there several times. Shami is a swing bowler I guess and can potentially get it up to 90mph on a good day. Don't really think he is the type to get wickets there, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar certainly not.

Umesh Yadav has the capability I guess....but from memory has always been to inconsistent to ever actually get a long run in the side and perform.

Bumrah...I don't know. I don't really rate him as a test bowler, but he seems to have had a good start to his career. In saying that, he has played in South Africa and England, where conditions were bowler friendly, and the new ball was moving. A mixture of short balls and yorkers with a Kookabura that doesn't support swing...makes him a bit one dimensional.

Spin bowling wise...again Ashwin hasn't done it and Kuldeep Yadav probably not ready for tests outside India.

Either you have never watched any of the bowlers you are talking about or you are delusional, barring bhuvi none of the indian bowlers actually depend on swing, yadav, shami and especially bumrah are seam bowlers.

 

[rhony]

1.Bowling much much better.
2. Fielding overall better but slip catching not as good.
3. Batting is nowhere near as good as the 2000s but is still the best batting team.

Still the best batting team???

 

[rhony]

Either you have never watched any of the bowlers you are talking about or you are delusional, barring bhuvi none of the indian bowlers actually depend on swing, yadav, shami and especially bumrah are seam bowlers.

True. Ishant has improved massively. Umesh and Shami too. Bumrah can take wickets anywhere. This is truly the best bowling lineup India had as far as I remember

 

[topspin]

Still the best batting team???

Which team has a better line up then?

 

[BaankeJi]

Which team has a better line up then?

England.

 

[topspin]

England.

Perhaps in LOIs but I think it's close. India's top 3 are second to none as well. In tests India's batting comes top.

 

[rhony]

Which team has a better line up then?

Eng in LOIs and tests. But seriously, this Indian batting lineup was unable to chase modest scores in tests abroad recently.

 

[Enforcer]

Bumrah is mostly 142-144 at best. Umesh won't play and Shami was again mostly 140 in England.

No body can bowl a spell of 90 mph every time except may be starc. Bumrah has an award angle and crank the odd one at145+ ks, which is more than enough

 

[Raja111]

England are blessed with a great tail otherwise they're as good as Bangladesh!.

 

[ind_win]

England are blessed with a great tail otherwise they're as good as Bangladesh!.

Even suresh raina, dhawan started well in tests...lets see after 12-15 tests how the tail of new guys performs.